Symbiotic Reviews

Robert Pollard

Of Course You Are

Year of Release: 2016

Another year. Another Robert Pollard album. Honestly, keeping up with the legendary GBV frontman is itself a monumental task, as his output has at this point has reached beyond prolific and into the realm of sonic absurdism. His latest solo album Of Course You Are, however, manages to distinguish itself a bit from recent offerings in that the production by Nick Mitchell (from Pollard's alter-ego band Ricked Wicky), is more ambitiously varied. Pollard still favors lo-fi pop songs with the standard guitar/drums/bass template, but Mitchell layers horns, synthesizers, and strings into the mix; giving the record a much fuller, dense sound than expected. "That's the Way You Gave it to Me", has a simple acoustic guitar and world-weary lyrics, but is given the epic treatment with the addition of soaring strings. "Come and Listen" has moody violin, splashes of piano, and Pollard in a surprisingly moody headspace, giving us a death-obsessed ballad that's hauntingly sublime. On the whole, though, Of Course You Are retains the basic elements of Pollard's repertoire; pop, punk, psych, and prog songs, given a sprightly kick because of Mitchell's orchestral flourishes. It's a Pollard album through and through; which means, of course, you get what you'd expect and then a little something extra.